The present invention relates to a digging tooth assembly and more particularly to a digging tooth which is separable or detachable from a supporting shank to provide a structure which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, convenient and quick to operate, and dependable in operation.
It is conventional to provide digging teeth for excavating machines for the purpose of loosening the earth or material being excavated or loaded. These digging teeth are subjected to severe usage in operation, and accordingly, it has become common practice to construct the digging teeth in the form of a separable assembly having a shank fixed on the excavating equipment and a removable digging tooth which can be replaced.
The most common form of replaceable digging teeth require special pins, keys, bolts or the like for fastening purposes. The severe impact and shock to which the teeth are subjected during ordinary usage distorts, damages, or wears the bolts and surfaces forming the keys in a manner preventing easy removal for repair or replacement. Further, it has been difficult to obtain firm seating between the supporting shank and the digging tooth fastened thereto. Relative movement between the digging tooth and supporting shank tends to wear the interfitting faces thereby necessitating eventual replacement of both the shank and digging tooth.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a replaceable digging tooth which is not dependent upon the use of bolts, pins, keys, or other fastening members having similar shortcomings and which includes a retaining means that keeps the digging tooth positively assembled and protected against wear and breakage.
Still another object of the present invention is a digging tooth assembly wherein the construction of the supporting shank and retaining means for the digging tooth will increase the life of the cutting edge of the digging tooth while increasing the ease with which the digging tooth enters the material being excavated.